disturbio
/disˈtuɾbjo/
The English word 'disturbance' can be translated into Spanish as disturbio.
disturbio refers specifically to a noisy commotion or civil unrest. Other words can be used depending on the nuance of the disturbance: jaleo refers to a commotion or disruption, while lío can be used to express a messy or chaotic situation as a colloquial way to convey a disturbance.
Meaning: a noisy commotion (noun)
Which one should you use?
disturbio refers specifically to a noisy commotion or civil unrest, whereas molestia refers to an annoyance or inconvenience.
How do you pronounce it?
/disˈtuɾbjo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish speaking cultures, jaleo can describe not just a noisy disturbance but also a specific style of flamenco singing and dancing.
- While disturbio describes a public riot, the colloquial term lío can also mean a romantic entanglement or a complicated relationship.
- The phrase armar un lío literally means 'to arm a mess' but is used to describe the act of starting a loud argument or a disturbance.
Examples in context
- La Policía intervino en el disturbio.The police intervened in the disturbance.This sentence shows how to describe police intervention in a disturbio.Tatoeba #1854883 by marcelostockle, translation #238180 by CM
- Hubo un lío en la fiesta de anocheThere was a disturbance at last night's party
- El ruido del vecindario causó un jaleo en mi estudioThe noise from the neighborhood caused a disturbance in my study
- La pelea entre los vecinos generó una gran perturbaciónThe fight between the neighbors caused a great disturbance
- ¿Qué pasó? Escuché que hubo un gran lío en la manifestación de ayer.What happened? I heard there was a big disturbance at yesterday's protest.
- Hubo un gran disturbio en la calle principal.There was a big disturbance on the main street.
- El disturbio causó mucho miedo en el vecindario.The disturbance caused a lot of fear in the neighborhood.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about news from the city center.
- MateoLucía, ¿viste el disturbio en el centro?Lucía, did you see the disturbance downtown?
- LucíaSí, Mateo, parecía muy peligroso.Yes, Mateo, it looked very dangerous.
- MateoEl disturbio duró varias horas.The disturbance lasted for several hours.
- LucíaEspero que todo esté tranquilo ahora.I hope everything is quiet now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry disturbio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
